Label for belts



May 26, 1970 B. SCHILLER LABEL FOR BELTS Filed July 25. 1968 INVENIOR.54 Y Jay/4 4 5e United States Patent 3,513,575 LABEL FOR BELTS BarrySchiller, Woodmere, N.Y., assignor to Canterbury Belts Ltd., New York,N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed July 25, 1968, Ser. No. 747,749Int. Cl. A44c 3/00 US. Cl. 40-2 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Thisinvention relates to indicia carrying attachments for use in the displayof merchandise and, more specifiorally, to a tag-like attachmentsuitable for use in conjunction with the display of belts and otherproducts.

In displaying belts or other merchandise for sale, price and similarinformation is commonly displayed on a tag or label attached directly tothe product. Such attachments must be fastened in a secure manner so asto permit storage and handling and must be easily removable withoutcausing damage to the merchandise. The attachment must provide anadequate area for printed matter and should maintain its orientation sothat the printed matter is readily visible. Prior attachments for beltsinclude, for example, printed cardboard tags attached to the belt by alength of string and printed foil sheets folded around the belt ring.However, string tags tangle easily when belts are displayed hangingadjacent to one another, and foil tags present a less than desirableappearance and are limited in size by the size of the belt loop. Thepresent invention overcomes these prior faults and permits price andother information to be displayed on a tag securely attached to aproduct such as a belt in a manner so as to be readily removable withoutcausing damage to the product and to provide a large attractive area forprinted matter which will maintain its orientation and thus be readilyvisible. Furthermore, a tag in accordance with the invention provides arich appearance which has been found to be important in the sale ofitems such as mens belts.

In accordance with the invention, price or other indicia is inscribedupon a strip of flexible material shaped to be easily attached to a beltloop or other loop-like element of a product to be displayed. Theflexible strip is cut to include a broad primary indicia carryingportion and an adjacent apertured portion, which may include a singleselectively dimensioned nearly rectangular aperture. Above the aperturedportion the strip is shaped to include a narrow necked-down portion anda broad tab-like locking portion both dimensioned in accordance with thedimensions of the aperture in the apertured portion so that in affixingthe strip to a piece of merchandise the narrow portion can be easilypassed through the apertured portion while the broad portion engages theapertured portion. Above the broad tab-like locking portion the stripincludes a secondary indicia carrying portion, also selectivelydimensioned in accordance with the size of the aperture, and twosecondary locking tabs which protrude outward from the sides of thesecondary indicia carrying portion. In securing the strip to a belt orother article, the narrow portion is threaded through the aperturedportion, the secondary indicia carrying portion is brought intoalignment with the primary indicia carrying portion and the tabs areinserted into the apertured portion thus main- "ice taining thesecondary indicia carrying portion in proper alignment and forming asecure connection.

The invention will be fully apprehended from the following descriptionof an illustrative embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with theappended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a strip of flexible material dimensioned inaccordance with the invention and suitable for use in conjunction withthe display of belts and other similar products.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the center line of the stripshown in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6 show a tag constructed in accordance with theinvention and the buckle section of a belt during progressive stages inthe process of attaching the tag to the belt.

FIG. 7 is an end view, partially in section, of the tag and belt loop ofFIG. 6, with the cross-sectional portion being taken along line 77 inFIG. 6.

FIG. 1 shows a strip of flexible material shaped in accordance with theinvention for use as a price tag on belts or similar products. Whilethis tag may be constructed of any suitable flexible material, it hasbeen found that a strip of leather approximately inch thick providessufiicient flexibility for easy attachment to a belt guide andsuflicient resiliency to maintain a secure connection once the tag hasbeen affixed. The use of leather, which is made possible by the tagsconstruction, provides a rich appearance and rich feel both of which aredesirable for the merchandising of quality mens belts. Additionally,such leather can be easily cut and stamped with an appropriate legend;in FIG. 1 a price has been stamped on the primary indicia carryingportion 10 of the tag, and a figure has been incorporated into the tagsshape.

The bottom or primary indicia carrying portion 10 of the strip ofmaterial shown in FIG. 1 may be cut into any convenient shape or sizeaccording to the printed matter to be displayed on the tag. Immediatelyabove this primary indicia carrying portion, the strip includes anapertured portion 12 which extends from the principal indicia carryingportion 10 to a narrow necked-down portion 14. The apertured portion 12may include a solid structured section 13 located above a singleaperture 11. This aperture may be in the form of a lengthwiseapproximately rectangular slot as shown in FIG. 1 which may be slightlywider at its center than at its ends to permit easy attachment of thetag. If this configuration is employed, only two thin leg members 19 and20, remain between the primary indicia carrying portion of the tag '10and the remainder of the tag. The width of the slot or the distancebetween the thin leg members at their top and bottom ends, 11a and 11brespectively, is selected in accordance with the size relationships ofother portions of the tag as discussed below. Further, this section ofthe strip is dimensioned in accordance with the nature and dimensions ofthe product to which the tag is to be attached; in the case of a belt,the structural section 13 must be narrow enough to fit within the beltring to which the tag will be attached. It is to be understood thatother configurations of apertures could be employed, and that theaperatured portion 12 may take on other configurations in accordancewith the arrangement of apertures employed.

Adjacent to the structural section 13, the strip is formed into anarrow, necked-down portion 14 which is dimensioned so that its width isjust smaller than the width of the edge 11b of the aperture 11 adjacentto the portion 10. The height of the narrow necked-down portion is suchthat the distance from the base of aperture 11 at 11b to the top of thenarrow necked-down portion 14 is sufficient to make one complete circleabout the belt ring to which the tag is to be attached.

Above the narrow, necked-down portion 14, the strip is formed into abroad tab-like locking portion 15 dimensioned such that its height issmall as compared with the height of aperture 11 and such that its widthis much greater than the width of aperture 11.

A secondary indicia carrying portion 16 is located above the broadtab-like locking portion 15. This secondary indicia carrying portionincludes two supplemental locking tabs 17 and 18 protruding out from itstwo lateral sides at a point above the broad tab-like locking portionsuch that the distance from the upper edges of tabs 17 and 18 to thelower edge of the broad tab-like locking portion 15 is smaller than thelength of aperture '11. The width of the secondary indicia carryingportion is approximately equal to the width of the slot 11. As will beseen, this permits supplemental locking tabs 17 and 18 to be inserted inaperture 11 below the narrow leg members 19 and 20 with the broad,tab-like locking portion overlying the leg members 19 and 20 so as tomaintain the secondary indicia carrying surface *16 in alignment withthe primary indicia carrying surface 10 and thus provide a secureconnection and a substantial area for printed matter.

The several stages in the process of attaching the tag shown in FIG. 1to the loop of a belt are illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6. In FIG. 3a tag 30 is shown adjacent to the belt loop 31 of belt 32; the face orinformation bearing side of the tag is facing the body of the belt withthe lower or primary indicia carrying portion of the tag closest to thebelt buckle. As indicated by arrow 34 in FIG. 3, the tag is thenthreaded through the belt loop. Clearly, with the tag dimensioned asshown in FIG. 3, the tag may be drawn into the belt loop from eitherside of the loop. The tag is then located within the belt loop so thatthe aperture 11 is just beyond the loop 31 towards the buckle 33 and,the solid section of the apertured portion 13 of the tag is under theloop. The primary indicia carrying portion of the tag 10 and theapertured portion of the tag which protrudes from the belt loop are thenfolded up and away frm the body of the belt and back toward theremainder of the tag as indicated by arrow 35 in FIG. 3.

The secondary indicia carrying portion 16 of the tag is then folded overthe belt loop into approximately the position in which it is shown inside, sectional view in FIG. 4 and in front view in FIG. 5. The primaryindicia carrying portion 10 of the tag is then folded over the belt loop31 and over the secondary indicia carrying portion 16 of the tag to theposition in which it is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The secondary indiciacarrying portion 16 of the tag and the broad tab-like locking portion ofthe tag are then drawn through aperture 11 until the bottom of the broadtab-like portion and part of the narrow necked-down portion 14 arethrough the aperture. The narrow portion is then permitted to withdrawback through the aperture until the broad tab-like portion 15 engagesthe bottom 11b of the aperture as shown in FIG. 6. The secondary indiciacarrying portion 16 is then brought into approximately parallel relationwith the primary indicia carrying portion, and the secondary lockingtabs 17 and 18 are inserted through the aperture to be held in placeunder leg members 19 and 20.

With the tag fastened in this manner, a secure attachment to the belt isachieved without injuring the belt in any way. A large printable surfaceis provided by the primary indicia carrying portion which may be of anydesired dimension and by the secondary indicia carrying portion. The tagis maintained flush with the body of the belt for easy storage,handling, and display and so that the legend on the tag is clearlyvisible when the belt is 4 hung on the normal display rack or handled bya customer. As in the example shown in FIG. 1, the printed matter on theprimary indicia carrying portion and on the secondary indicia carryingportion may be coordinated to provide a single unified message.

FIG. 7 shows the tag attached to a belt loop in partial sectional viewalong line 7 in FIG. 6. Thus, in FIG. 7, the solid structural section ofthe strip 13 is located below the belt loop 31 while the secondarylocking tabs 17 and 18 are secured beneath the leg members 19 and 20respectively. The broad tab-like locking portion 15 is located in frontof the leg members 19 and 20.

It is to be understood that the above described arrangements are merelyillustrative of the application of the principles of the invention.Other arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An indicia carrying attachment which comprises a length of flexiblematerial including a broad primary indicia carrying portion, anapertured portion adjacent to said primary indicia carrying portion, arelatively narrow necked-down portion contiguous with said aperturedportion and away from said primary indicia carrying portion, said narrownecked-down portion being selectively dimensioned so as to pass freelythrough said apertured portion, a broad locking portion contiguous withsaid narrow necked-down portion, said locking portion being dimensionedso as to engage said apertured portion, a secondary indicia carryingportion contiguous with said locking portion and a plurality ofsupplemental locking tabs extending outward from said secondary indiciacarrying portion.

2. An indicia carrying attachment as defined in claim 1 wherein saidapertured portion comprises a solid structural section immediatelyadjacent to said narrow neckeddown portion and two thin leg membersintermediate said solid structural section and said primary indiciacarrying portion, said leg members being substantially parallel to oneanother and the distance between said leg members at the point wheresaid leg members meet the primary indicia carrying portion beingslightly greater than the width of said narrow necked-down portion andsmaller than the width of said broad locking portion; wherein saidsecondary indicia carrying portion is of a width approximately equal tothe distance between said thin leg members; and wherein said broadlocking portion is of a width greater than the distance between saidthin leg members, so that said indicia carrying attachment may befastened to a belt loop with said solid structural section underlyingsaid belt loop, and said secondary indicia carrying portion superimposedupon said thin leg members with said broad locking portion overlyingsaid leg members, and said supplemental locking tabs underlying said legmembers.

3. An indicia carrying attachment as defined in claim 2 wherein saidflexible material is leather.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,517,456 12/ 1924 Pulliam 40212,578,548 12/1951 Histed 4021 2,768,458 10/ 1956 Anania 402 X 3,462,8658/1969 Gouner 402 X EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner W. I. CONTRERAS,Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 4021

